Gay students oppose Brian Souter’s Knighthood

NUS Scotland’s LGBT campaign condemns the announcement that Brian Souter will be receiving a knighthood and calls on people opposed to discrimination and bullying to attend a demonstration against the Stagecoach co-founder outside the Royal Garden Partyon 5 July and sign a petition asking for the knighthood to be revoked.

The “Withdraw Brian Souter’s Knighthood” campaign, organised by NUS Scotland’s LGBT campaign, is protesting outside the Palace of Holyroodhouse in opposition to the decision to honour Brian Souter, who spearheaded the homophobic “Keep the Clause” effort to ban schools from introducing anti-bullying policies and prevent local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality.

The NUS Scotland LGBT campaign is also publicising an online petition, already signed by 5000 people, to have his knighthood revoked (http://bit.ly/SouterPetition).

The “Withdraw Brian Souter’s Knighthood” campaign is calling for this knighthood to be retracted in support of the people who suffer from homophobic or transphobic bullying and harassment, and to send a clear message to homophobes that this kind of behaviour should no longer be overlooked when awarding British citizens this high honour.

Nathan Sparling, NUS Scotland’s LGBT officer-elect, said:“It is not acceptable that Brian Souter, one of the most prominent anti-LGBT campaigners in Scotland, is being honoured with a knighthood. Over the past week we’ve seen a surge of action with people signing the petition calling for Brian Souter’s Knighthood to be withdrawn, and NUS Scotland is planning a protest on the day of the Royal Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 5 July to voice our disgust at this honour.